BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - In 2008, everything was rush, rush, rush for Joyce E. Brooks until a breast cancer diagnosis forced her to step back and reevaluate how she managed her time.

No longer would she let days full of demanding work deadlines, carrying take out food home to her family and long work hours run her. She had to take control. In 2009, she was declared cancer-free and wrote a book about how to overcome stress. In the 2010, she discovered her ability to paint. With paintbrush in hand, she found her peace.

Now, she’s sharing that “peace’’ with others through an exhibit on the first floor of the Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place. “Release of the Inner Artist’’ will be up through March 29. It features landscapes, folk art and abstracts.

On Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m., Brooks will have a reception and sign copies of her book, “Self-Inflicted Overload: Five Steps to Achieving Work-Life Balance and Becoming Your Very Best.'' Her books and paintings will be for sale.

She’ll give a brief talk about the importance of having a balanced life and how she set the reset button in her life. Painting played a big role in that.

Brooks is married to Birmingham Fire Chief Ivor Brooks, is a mother of four, a grandmother to one and is an active member of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.

For more information about Brooks, an electrical engineer now running her own consulting firm, visit www.bplonline.org or www.joyceebrooks.com